The Wood Family Foundation (WFF), alongside the University of Illinois at Chicago announced today the 1st recipient of the Kerry and Sarah Wood Family Foundation Scholarship. Graduating senior Gabriella (Gaby) Santoyo was presented to WFF board members, supporters and friends at this morning’s “Sky Is The Limit” Scholarship Breakfast at Willis Tower hosted by the Wood Family Foundation.

WGN’s Micah Materre served as emcee and highlighted the mission of the Wood Family Foundation while showcasing a video before introducing founders Kerry and Sarah Wood and representatives from UIC. Dr. Bette L. Bottoms, Dean of the UIC Honors College described the Honors College and details of the scholarship while Daniel Kim, Santoyo’s Calculus teacher, commented on why she was most deserving of the award. Santoya, in attendance with her mother and sister, expressed her gratitude to the Wood Family Foundation and UIC Honors College while explaining her commitment to helping others and eagerness to learn. As the program ended, guests enjoyed performances by the Chicago Children’s Choir.

Santoyo attends Chicago Bulls College Preparatory Charter School and lives in the Lawndale neighborhood. She will be the first in her family to attend college and currently serves as President of student government. Santoyo is a member of the National Honor Society and University of Chicago’s Collegiate Scholars program and is active in Varsity soccer, volleyball and basketball. She has participated in the Right Angle’s Summer of a Lifetime university enrichment program in addition to an out-of-state leadership conference. Her academic interests are in communications, business and psychology. As the scholarship winner, Santoyo will enroll in a full-time course of study this fall at UIC and live on campus. All tuition, fees, assessments, books, and room and board are included, and a laptop computer will be provided. She will receive housing during the summer to allow participation in summer coursework, undergraduate research, an internship, or study abroad.

The Kerry and Sarah Wood Family Foundation Scholarship was established in 2013 to benefit graduating seniors in the Austin, Englewood, Humboldt Park and Lawndale neighborhoods. “We are excited to give Gaby the opportunity to achieve her dreams through this scholarship program and offer her a bright future," explains Kerry and Sarah Wood.

The Wood Family Foundation (WFF) is a non-profit 501c3 organization that was founded in June 2011 by Kerry and Sarah Wood. The WFF works to improve the lives of children in Chicago by raising funds for children’s programs. The WFF acts as an advocate for children in the Chicago community, inspiring others to join them in their mission of giving children the resources they need to succeed. www.WoodFamilyFoundation.org

UIC ranks among the nation's leading research universities and is Chicago's largest university with 27,500 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. www.uic.edu.